Forty-eight years ago this month (July), U.S. astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the moon. That image transfixed a little Costa Rican girl as she watched on a neighbor’s TV. VOA Vero Balderas explains how that moon walk launched Sandra Cauffman’s journey to a leadership role at the U.S. space agency. …
Amazon Goes on Hiring Spree as Labor Market Tightens
Amazon has some job openings. Lots of them. The company said Wednesday that it’s looking to fill more than 50,000 positions across the U.S. It’s planning to make thousands of offers on the spot on Aug. 2, when it opens the doors to potential hires at 10 Amazon.com Inc. shipping sites. There will be more than 10,000 part-time jobs available at sorting centers, and some supporting and managerial positions. The labor market is growing tight with back-to-school and holiday shopping around the corner. Others will be competing for those same hires. The unemployment rate is 4.4 percent, near a 16-year low, yet the average hourly pay rose just 2.5 percent in the past year. The last time unemployment was this low, wages were rising at roughly a 4 percent rate. …
«Укренерго» припинило електропостачання неконтрольованої території Донеччини – заява
Україна повністю припинила перетоки електричної енергії на непідконтрольні території Донецької області, заявив керівник «Укренерго» Всеволод Ковальчук. «Територія ОРДЛО наразі не споживає електроенергію, вироблену електростанціями на контрольованій частині України. Потреби окупованих територій в енергії покриваються за рахунок Старобєшевської та Зуївської ТЕС, іншими виробниками на НКТ, а також поставками з Російської Федерації, що відбуваються по лініях, які виключені з переліку міждержавних, перетоки по них не обраховуються в загальному сальдо «Україна-Росія-Білорусь»», – написав він у Facebook. В угрупованні «ДНР» заявили про те, що згадані відключення не вплинуть на споживачів на підконтрольній їм території Донеччини, тому що електростанції на цій території – у змозі забезпечити електроенергією населення та підприємства. Непідконтрольні території Луганщини, за словами Ковальчука, відключені від української електроенергії ще з травня цього року. Національна енергетична компанія «Укренерго» здійснює експлуатацію магістральних і міждержавних ліній електропередачі, а також централізовану диспетчеризацію об’єднаної енергосистеми країни. НЕК є державним підприємством, перебуває в підпорядкуванні Міністерства енергетики та вугільної промисловості. …
Study: Brain Disease Found in Nearly All Deceased US Football Players
Tests on deceased former professional American football players showed nearly all of them had a chronic traumatic brain disease, according to scientific research published Tuesday in the JAMA medical journal. The disease, called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), is believed to be caused by repeated head trauma and has been known to cause memory loss, disorientation, depression and impaired judgement, among other symptoms. Of the 202 total deceased former players studied for the report, which included high school, college and professional players, 177 were diagnosed with CTE. National Football League players seemed particularly prone to CTE, with 110 of the 111 former NFL players examined in the study being diagnosed with the disease. “There’s no question that there’s a problem in football. That people who play football are at risk for this disease,” study author and director of Boston University’s CTE Center Dr. Ann McKee said. “And we urgently need to find answers for not just football players, but veterans and other individuals exposed to head trauma.” The study marks the most recent research published linking head trauma sustained while playing football to chronic brain injuries, though it is by no means conclusive. As pointed out in the study, the brains examined for the research were donated by family members of football players who may have exhibited symptoms of chronic brain injury prior to death. This creates a selective sample that may not be representative of all football players. The NFL released a statement praising the study for its role in …
Daimler Stands by Diesel Despite Growing Controversy
German automaker Daimler’s profits barely rose and were short of market expectations as its Mercedes-Benz luxury car division boomed while earnings lagged at its truck, van and bus businesses. The second-quarter results were overshadowed by the growing controversy over diesel technology hanging over the automaker — and the auto industry in general — ahead of a meeting in Germany of carmakers and government officials next week. The Stuttgart-based company reported Wednesday that net profit was up a scant 2 percent compared with a year ago, to 2.51 billion euros ($2.9 billion). Revenue increased 7 percent to 41.16 billion euros ($48 billion). The profit was short of analyst estimates for 2.61 billion as compiled by financial information provider FactSet. On the bright side, the Mercedes division had its best quarter for unit sales ever and 2.4 billion euros ($2.8 billion) in operating profit. Mercedes division profits were boosted by strong sales of the E-Class sedan, which is equipped with extensive driver assistance technology, and of the company’s SUVs, which bring high profits per vehicle. But operating earnings fell 13 percent in its truck business, and also lagged at the van and bus divisions. The company reiterated that profits would “increase significantly” once again in 2017. Daimler shares traded 0.1 percent higher at 61.06 euros in Frankfurt. The earnings announcement takes place amid extensive public discussion of the future of diesel and what to do about excessive pollution emissions. The government has summoned carmakers to a diesel summit …
Омелян: МАУ вимагає компенсації від держави через можливий прихід Ryanair в Україну
МАУ вимагає скасувати контракт Ryanair з аеропортом Львова та заборонити міністерству інфраструктури надавати сприяння Ryanair в Україні …
If Funding Stays, HIV Epidemic May Be Put Under Control
Science seems to be finally starting to win in the war against the human immunodeficiency virus HIV that causes AIDS. But experts gathered at the Paris conference on the deadly disease say proposed cuts in global funding may delay the final blow. VOA’s George Putic reports. …
US Startups Led by Women Attract Sliver of Venture Cash, Study Finds
Promising startups in the United States receive a shred of the billions of dollars investors pump into them when led by women, a major study found Tuesday. Between 2011 and 2013, companies with a female CEO received $1.5 billion of the $51 billion that venture capital investors poured into those they deemed promising, or a mere 3 percent of available dollars, according to the study by U.S. researchers. They also found that all-male teams were four times more likely to win venture funding than teams counting at least one woman among them. Venture capital is money invested in small businesses thought to have high-return potential. The findings published in the journal Venture Capital confirmed a pattern of historically low levels of venture funds flowing into businesses led by women. A prior milestone study, the Diana Project, had found that venture capital injected into female-led companies never exceeded 4 percent of total funds invested between the early 1950s and the turn of the century. In the new study, researchers examined nearly 7,000 U.S. companies that received venture capital between 2011 and 2013. They then identified companies with women on their executive teams. ‘Not in the right network’ Just why female-led companies were recipients of less venture capital raised questions about the industry’s inner workings, said co-author Candida Brush, a professor of entrepreneurship at Babson College in Massachusetts. “What is the disconnect?” Brush said in a phone interview. “My hypothesis on the disconnect is that women are not in the right network …
WSJ: Trump Names Yellen, Cohn as Possible Fed Chair Picks
U.S. President Donald Trump named on Tuesday two possible candidates to run the Federal Reserve over the next few years: current Fed Chair Janet Yellen and Trump’s economic adviser Gary Cohn, according to an interview with The Wall Street Journal. Yellen, whose four-year term expires in February, “is in the running, absolutely,” to be renominated, Trump was quoted as saying. In addition, Cohn, a former Goldman Sachs president who is now director of the National Economic Council, “certainly would be in the mix,” he said. Trump said he probably would make the announcement at the end of the year, the paper reported. He was also quoted saying that there are “two or three” other contenders, though he declined to name them. Any Fed nominee would need Senate confirmation. Trump’s comments could sharpen speculation over who will take the helm of the world’s most influential central bank, which is leading a global shift toward tighter monetary policy. Earlier this month, Politico reported that Yellen was increasingly unlikely to serve another term, while Cohn was the top candidate. Cohn, a Democrat who is managing the White House’s search for candidates, did not work on Trump’s campaign and only got to know him after the November election. “I’ve gained great respect for Gary working with him,” the paper quoted Trump as saying on Tuesday. Yellen took over from Ben Bernanke as Fed chair in February 2014 with the U.S. economic recovery from the 2008 financial crisis still on shaky ground. As unemployment has …
Apple CEO Promised to Build 3 ‘Big’ Plants in US, Trump Tells WSJ
Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook has committed to build three big manufacturing plants in the United States, the Wall Street Journal quoted U.S. President Donald Trump as saying. “I spoke to [Cook], he’s promised me three big plants — big, big, big,” Trump told the Journal in an interview on Tuesday. Trump didn’t elaborate on where those plants would be located or when they would be built, the paper reported. Cook said in May that Apple planned to create a $1 billion fund to invest in U.S. companies that perform advanced manufacturing. He also said the company intended to fund programs that could include teaching people how to write computer code to create apps. Apple came under fire from Trump during his campaign because it makes most of its products in China. “We’re gonna get Apple to start building their damn computers and things in this country, instead of in other countries,” Trump had said in a speech in January last year. Apple, on its part, had been making disclosures to highlight how it had been contributing to job creation in the United States. Cook said in February that Apple spent $50 billion in 2016 with its U.S. suppliers. The world’s largest company by market valuation had also claimed that it created 2 million jobs in the United States, 80,000 of which are directly at Apple and the rest coming from suppliers and developers for the company’s app ecosystem. Trump’s comments on Tuesday were some of the first he has …
Colombian Officials Got $27M in Odebrecht Bribes, Prosecutor says
Colombian officials received $27 million in bribes from Brazilian engineering firm Odebrecht, more than double previously thought, as the company sought to win a road-building contract, Colombia’s attorney general said on Tuesday. As fallout from a massive corruption scandal continues to bite Odebrecht, Attorney General Nestor Humberto Martinez said bribes paid for the contract to build a 528-km (328-mile) highway were much more than the $11 million originally estimated. Martinez said criminal charges for money laundering would be filed against two Brazilian citizens, one Portuguese and three Colombians. He will also ask the Supreme Court of Justice to investigate five congressional lawmakers. Seven people, including a former senator and an ex-vice minister of transport, have been jailed for involvement in the corruption scandal. Odebrecht’s bribes in Colombia spilled over into the election campaigns of President Juan Manuel Santos, who in March acknowledged that his 2010 election campaign received illegal payments. He said he had no knowledge at the time of the payments. Odebrecht allegedly paid hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes in association with infrastructure projects in 12 countries, including Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela, between 2002 and 2016. …
Trump Administration Cuts Short Anti-teen Pregnancy Grants
Dozens of teen pregnancy prevention programs deemed ineffective by President Donald Trump’s administration will lose more than $200 million in funding following a surprise decision to end five-year grants after only three years. The administration’s assessment is in sharp contrast with that of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, which credited the program with contributing to an all-time low rate of teen pregnancies. Rachel Fey of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy said Tuesday that grantees under the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program were given no explanation when notified this month their awards will end next June. The program, begun under President Barack Obama’s administration, receives about $100 million a year. “We know so little about the rationale behind cutting short these grants,” said Fey, who said the teen birth rate has fallen by about 40 percent nationally since the program went into effect in 2010. The focus of the program is on evidence-based interventions aimed at preventing teen pregnancy. It does not pay for or provide contraceptives. Competing outcomes A Health and Human Services spokesman said late Tuesday that an evaluation of the first round of grants released last fall found only four of 37 programs studied showed lasting positive impacts. Most of the other programs had no effect or were harmful, the department said, including three that it said increased the likelihood that teens would have unprotected sex and become pregnant. “Given the very weak evidence of positive impact of these programs, the Trump administration, …
Peru Cracks Down on Slavery After Deadly Factory Fire Exposes Forced Labor
Peruvian authorities have launched a major crackdown on modern slavery after a warehouse fire in Lima last month killed four workers, including two who were trapped inside a padlocked container on the roof. Officials said they had shut down six furniture factories in the capital on Monday in an operation to root out forced labor and exploitation, following raids by prosecutors, police and labor inspectors. Last month’s toxic blaze which tore through several warehouses in the city center highlighted labor exploitation in the capital and prompted calls for better protection of workers’ rights and more labor inspections. President visits site of blaze Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said the victims were “practically slave workers” when he visited the site following the June 22 blaze. Peru’s attorney general said on Monday there would be more raids on factories and warehouses to prevent further “tragic accidents.” Another eight operations are planned this year in the wider Lima region and the north of the country where forced labor has been linked to the fishing industry. Prosecutors said the furniture factories targeted in Monday’s raids were operating without a licence, health and safety was “inadequate” and fire exits had been blocked, putting workers at risk. Over 200,000 trapped in slavery An estimated 200,500 people are trapped in modern day slavery in Peru, according to rights group The Walk Free Foundation, the third highest number in Latin America after Mexico and Colombia. The International Labor Organization (ILO), which estimates there are 21 million people in …
Pesticides May Have Caused South Asian Children’s Sudden Deaths
A pesticide banned by international treaty in 2011 could be responsible for the deaths of young children in South Asia, according to new findings. In June 2012, 14 children were brought to the Dinajpur Medical College Hospital in northern Bangladesh with acute encephalitis, a dangerous swelling of the brain. Most were unconscious within three hours, and all but one died after about 20 hours. Scientists from the International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research, a major research institution in Bangladesh, investigated what caused the outbreak. The medical team noticed that almost all the children lived next to a lychee orchard, many lived with someone who worked in the industry, and most had visited the fruit orchards shortly before becoming ill, lead author Mohammed Islam told VOA. A report published earlier this year in The Lancet reviewed a 2014 outbreak that killed 122 children in India’s Muzaffarpur region, the country’s largest lychee-producing region and an area where there are annual outbreaks of illness resembling acute encephalitis. That report blamed the outbreak on naturally occurring toxins in lychees that can lead to dangerously low blood-sugar levels in malnourished children. But a new report this week by Islam and his team, who analyzed the 2012 outbreak and subsequent incidents, noted that affected areas more often are places where lychees are produced, rather than consumed. And outbreaks typically ended when monsoon rains began, washing away pesticide residues from the fruit trees. The researchers interviewed lychee orchard workers, their families and neighbors, as well as the …
Gore’s Sequel Continues Conversation About Climate Change
Al Gore admits he was frustrated upon hearing the news last month that President Donald Trump was pulling out of the Paris climate accord, but since then he’s become more optimistic. Gore worried that a U.S. withdrawal from the treaty would compel other nations to opt out of the historic pact for adopting clean energy solutions. But that’s not what happened. “The whole rest of the world has redoubled their commitment. And in this country, the governors and the mayors and the business leaders have all said, ‘We’re still in the agreement, and we’re going to fill the gap. We’re going to meet the U.S. commitment, regardless of what Donald Trump does,’ ” Gore told The Associated Press last week at a special screening for An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power. It follows the 2006 Oscar-winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth and continues the conversation of finding solutions for the effects of climate change, including an emphasis on renewable energy. Much like the first film, Gore is front and center in leading the discussion. It’s been a remarkable second act for Gore since winning the popular vote, but losing the Electoral College in the 2000 presidential election. There’s no question that Gore was devastated by the loss, but his stature as an important voice for environmental issues has proven equally successful, as he amassed a Nobel Prize, Academy Award, an Emmy and a Grammy for his relentless dedication to climate change activism. Grateful for the chance “I’m under no illusion that …
Уряд ліквідовує державний авіабудівний концерн «Антонов»
Кабінет міністрів ухвалив рішення про ліквідацію українського авіабудівного концерну «Антонов». Відповідну постанову за 19 липня опубліковано на сайті уряду. Вона передбачає створення комісії з ліквідації, яка має через три місяці подати ліквідаційний баланс. За даними, оприлюдненими в документі, комісію очолить заступник міністра економічного розвитку Юрій Бровченко. Як пояснюють на Facebook-сторінці представники «Антонова», постанова стосується ліквідації структури концерну, куди входить три підприємства: державне підприємство «Антонов», «Харківське Державне Авіаційне Виробниче Підприємство» та державне підприємство «Завод 410 Цивільної авіації». «В 2015 році з метою підвищення ефективності авіаційної галузі, урядом України було прийняте рішення передати Державне піприємство «Антонов», ХДАВП та «Завод 410» (тобто всі три підприємства концерну «Антонов») в управління Державного концерну «Укроборонпром»», – йдеться у повідомленні. Авіабудівники запевняють, що підприємство продовжує працювати в штатному режимі, а продукція і надалі буде представлена під брендом «Антонов». Раніше стало відомо про плани уряду зробити аеропорт «Антонов» у Гостомелі на Київщині базою для обслуговування лоукостів в Україні. …
Analysts: US Could Impose Steel Tariffs After Weak Trade Talks
Following a lack of agreement at the U.S. China Comprehensive Economic Dialogue in Washington last week, analysts say they expect the Trump administration to impose stiff penalties on Chinese steel and other imports. They are also predicting the U.S. might go a step further and start questioning some of the rules of the World Trade Organization, which it regards as being unduly favorable to Beijing. “It appears that not much was accomplished. Negotiations were deadlocked,” said Charles W. Boustany Jr., a retired U.S. Congressman and Counselor at The National Bureau of Asian Research. “I believe the Trump Administration is intent on imposing tariffs and other restrictions on steel imports”. The dialogue mechanism was created last April after talks between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping as a means to resolve old sticking points, including a huge trade imbalance of $347 billion that favors Beijing. But the first meeting, which was co-chaired by U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, and Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang, merely helps to highlight the stiff differences between the two sides. At the heart of the differences were Chinese steel exports and the massive trade deficit. The U.S. feels cheap steel exports are resulting in job losses, a view echoed regularly in Europe. Boustany said the Trump administration would impose controls on steel imports using national security as the reason. Similar views are being expressed by several experts. ” I do expect in some point in the near future for the Trump administration …
Мін’юст оскаржує рішення про скасування штрафу «Газтранзиту» – Петренко
Міністр юстиції України Павло Петренко заявив про подання касаційної скарги на рішення Київського апеляційного господарського суду, який скасував стягнення майже 80 мільйонів гривень із компанії «Газтранзит». «Ми вважаємо це рішення апеляційного суду незаконним, упередженим», – сказав він журналістам у вівторок. Раніше стало відомо, що Київський апеляційний господарський суд скасував рішення суду нижчої інстанції від 6 червня про стягнення майже 80 мільйонів гривень дивідендів із рахунку компанії «Газтранзит» , яка частково належить російській компанії «Газпром», на рахунки Антимонопольного комітету. «Колегія суддів дійшла висновку, що задоволення заяви про звернення стягнення на дивіденди від чистого прибутку Приватного акціонерного товариства «Газтранзит» з іноземними інвестиціями порушує права акціонерів АТ «Газтранзит», оскільки зазначені кошти на момент стягнення належали АТ «Газтранзит», а не ПАТ «Газпром»», – йдеться у повідомленні у Єдиному реєстрі судових рішень. 20 червня міністр юстиції Павло Петренко заявив, що до держбюджету стягнено з російської компанії «Газпром» понад 80 мільйонів гривень. Крім того, як повідомляли в «Газпромі», Міністерство юстиції України наклало арешт на акції підприємства «Газтранзит», що належать цій російській компанії. Вищий господарський суд України 16 травня відхилив касацію «Газпром» на рішення про стягнення штрафу в розмірі майже 172 мільярди гривень. У січні 2016 року Антимонопольний комітет України оштрафував російський «Газпром» на 86 мільярдів гривень за «зловживання монопольним становищем на ринку транзиту природного газу через українську газотранспортну систему». Термін виконання цього рішення закінчився, компанія «Газпром» оскаржила його, але суди відмовили російській компанії у задоволенні скарги. Згодом в Антимонопольному комітеті України заявили, що від «Газпрому» вимагають сумарно майже 172 мільярди гривень, зокрема штраф і пеню за …
Київський апеляційний суд скасував рішення про стягнення майже 80 мільйонів гривень із «Газтранзиту»
Київський апеляційний господарський суд скасував рішення суду нижчої інстанції від 6 червня про стягнення майже 80 мільйонів гривень дивідендів із рахунку компанії «Газтранзит» , яка частково належить російській компанії «Газпром», на рахунки Антимонопольного комітету. Відповідне рішення від 17 липня опубліковано у Єдиному реєстрі. «Колегія суддів дійшла висновку, що задоволення заяви про звернення стягнення на дивіденди від чистого прибутку Приватного акціонерного товариства «Газтранзит» з іноземними інвестиціями порушує права акціонерів АТ «Газтранзит», оскільки зазначені кошти на момент стягнення належали АТ «Газтранзит», а не ПАТ «Газпром»», – йдеться у повідомленні. 20 червня міністр юстиції Павло Петренко заявив, що до держбюджету стягнено з російської компанії «Газпром» понад 80 мільйонів гривень. Крім того, як повідомляли в «Газпромі», Міністерство юстиції України наклало арешт на акції підприємства «Газтранзит», що належать цій російській компанії. Вищий господарський суд України 16 травня відхилив касацію «Газпром» на рішення про стягнення штрафу в розмірі майже 172 мільярди гривень. У січні 2016 року Антимонопольний комітет України оштрафував російський «Газпром» на 86 мільярдів гривень за «зловживання монопольним становищем на ринку транзиту природного газу через українську газотранспортну систему». Термін виконання цього рішення закінчився, компанія «Газпром» оскаржила його, але суди відмовили російській компанії у задоволенні скарги. Згодом в Антимонопольному комітеті України заявили, що від «Газпрому» вимагають сумарно майже 172 мільярди гривень, зокрема штраф і пеню за його несвоєчасну сплату. Російська компанія «Газпром» заперечувала звинувачення у зловживанні монопольним становищем на ринку транзиту природного газу. У «Газпромі» назвали рішення АМКУ «нічим іншим, як спробою вчинити тиск» на російську компанію, і пообіцяли «захищати свої права й інтереси всіма можливими …
Площі виноградників в окупованому Криму скоротилися втричі
Площі виноградників, які в Криму традиційно сягали 100 тисяч гектарів, нині скоротилися майже втричі і становлять близько 30 тисяч гектарів. Такі дані, повідомляє сайт «Крим.Реалії», 24 липня озвучив голова комітету підконтрольного Росії парламенту Криму з питань аграрної політики, екології та природних ресурсів Ігор Буданов. «Щоб відродити галузь і повернути їй колишні масштаби необхідно вирішити ряд проблемних питань, як на федеральному, так і на регіональному рівнях. З урахуванням значущості виноградарсько-виноробної галузі… регулювати діяльність виноробних підприємств необхідно окремим профільним законом», – сказав Буданов. У 2016 році російський аграрний міністр розкритикував кримське виноградарство. Підконтрольний Росії глава Криму Сергій Аксьонов після заявив про намір зробити півострів «провідним регіоном Росії, який зможе на рівних конкурувати зі світовими лідерами виробництва якісних вин і винограду». Після анексії Криму винороби півострова зазнали проблем при переході галузі під російську стандартизацію і вимоги законів. …
Seeing Outbreaks From Space
Countries with few health-management resources are prone to periodic outbreaks of insect-borne diseases affecting both people and livestock. One of the best ways to reduce the impact is timely vaccination and eradication of insects. But how to tell when an outbreak might occur? VOA’s George Putic spoke with a scientist from Kenya who is using satellites to predict future outbreaks. …
Young African Entrepreneur Develops Rival to YouTube
A Ghanaian teenager wanted to develop a video search engine that could challenge the dominance of YouTube. As Faith Lapidus reports, he’s well on his way. …
From Rented Jeans to Reused Cooking Oil, Businesses are Going ‘Circular’
From recycled paint to rented jeans, businesses large and small are looking at ways to cut waste, use fewer resources and help create what has been coined a “circular economy” in which raw materials and products are repeatedly reused. Unilever, Renault, Google and Nike are some of the companies starting to move towards a circular business model, experts say. Cities too – including London, Amsterdam and Paris – are looking at how they can shift to a circular economy, which means reusing products, parts and materials, producing no waste and pollution, and using fewer new resources and energy. London’s Waste and Recycling Board last month published a road map for how the city as a whole could make the shift, thereby cutting emissions and creating jobs. “As London grows it faces unprecedented pressure on its land and its resources. If we are to meet these challenges, moving London to a circular economy will be vital,” Shirley Rodrigues, London’s deputy mayor for environment and energy, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. The city would likely need less land and infrastructure to manage waste, freeing up space for housing and saving up to 5 billion pounds ($6.5 billion) in infrastructure costs. The shift could generate 40,000 jobs, including 12,500 new jobs across London, she said. It would also cut harmful greenhouse gas emissions. “It is widely accepted that the circular economy has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions … through using less resources to make products in the first place and releasing …
Global Use of Trade Restrictions Slows, WTO Says
More steps to free up trade globally have been taken since Donald Trump was elected than measures to restrict it, the World Trade Organization said, despite concerns his administration would introduce a raft of punitive rules to protect U.S. jobs. The WTO’s global monitoring report, debated at a trade policy review on Monday, covers October 2016 to May 2017. “The report shows an encouraging decrease in the rate of new trade-restrictive measures put in place — hitting the lowest monthly average since the financial crisis,” WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo said in a statement. The semi-annual report, largely coinciding with the period since the election of U.S. President Donald Trump, showed that the 164 WTO members put 74 new restrictive measures in place, including tariffs, customs regulations and quantitative restrictions, with an impact of $49 billion of trade. At the same time, they took 80 steps to help trade, such as cutting tariffs or simplifying customs procedures, affecting a much bigger $183 billion of trade. Restrictions peaked in 2011 Trade-restrictive steps peaked at 22 per month in 2011, roughly twice the level in the period of the latest report. During the period under review, the United States introduced new restrictions including a provisional duty on Canadian softwood lumber, suspecting it of being unfairly priced. It also brought in “Buy America” provisions to ensure that, subject to some conditions, state loan funds are not used for water infrastructure projects unless all the steel used in the project was produced in the United …